Glasgow Unison Health and Safety Activist Receives STUC Award

April 19th 2016

The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) has announced that the recipient of this year’s STUC Frank Maguire Award for Health and Safety is Scott Donohoe, Health and Safety Officer for Glasgow City Unison.

Scott Donohoe has been health and safety officer for Glasgow City Unison for 14 years and is seconded from his employer, Glasgow City Council and is passionate about health and safety, an interest that has seen him play a leading role in his union’s work on health and safety as well participating in the Hazards movement in Scotland, the United Kingdom and Europe in his own time.

Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary said

“Scott Donohoe is an outstanding example of the difference trade union members can make in delivering safer and healthier workplaces. However, in Scott’s case he takes it a step further, playing a leading role in the Hazards movement at home and abroad.

“Scott ensure that he supports Unison health and safety representatives in Glasgow City Council developing campaign helping Unison organise around health and safety, such as his work to protect workers and seek trade union recognition in the SECC using health and safety failures as leverage to recruit and grow membership.

“Scott provides support and advice for workplace reps to resolve issues at the earliest possible stage avoiding harm members and costly damages actions for employers.

“However, he is never afraid to challenge employers particularly around stress at work and has developed a specialism in challenging adverse ill health retiral decisions for Unison members.
“At a time when the United Kingdom is attacking facility time for trade union reps Scott provides a perfect example of why agreed trade union facility time is vital for unions and employers”.

Patrick McGuire, Thompsons Solicitors said

“Scott is a great ambassador for health and safety and his work for his union, Unison, and the wider health and safety movement is immense. He fully deserves this credit and Thompsons is proud to support the work of Scott and his colleagues in setting up the Scottish Hazards Centre to assist injured workers disenfranchised from the protections afforded by trade union membership while at the same time encouraging in them to join”.